DTBP is used as initiator in polyethylene production and as a crosslinking agent in wire/cable manufacturing. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,511, U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,254 and Coughenour, et al, CHEMTECH 1997 (August) 38-41, DTBP is reported as an effective fuel enhancement additive.
DTBP is most commonly made by reacting TBHP with t-butyl alcohol (TBA) in an aqueous solution using an acid catalyst such as mineral acids (e.g. sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid), phosphonic acids, p-toluene sulfonic acid, strong acid ion exchange resins (e.g. Amberlyst.RTM. 15), heteropolyacids and Lewis acids. References describing such processes include U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,809, U.S. 5,488,176; U.S. 5,288,919; U.S. 5,488,179; U.S. 5,488,178; U.S. 5,345,009; Milas, N. A., et al, J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 1946, 68 (2) 205-208; and Dickey, F. H., et al, Ind. Eng Chem. 1949, 41(8) 1673-1679. DTBP is also made commercially by reacting TBA with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of sulfuric acid as a catalyst in a manner as described in Gupta, A. A., et al, "An Improved Process for the Preparation of Di-Tertiary-Butyl Peroxides," IN 173171 (1990). Isobutylene can be used as feed stock instead of TBA as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,371,298.
An oxidation of isobutane followed by reacting the oxidate in an aqueous solution of an acid catalyst is another known method for the preparation of DTBP, as described in Dickey, et al, Ind. Eng. Chem. 1949, 41(8) 1673-1679, in EP 438844 A and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,998.
Yet another method for DTBP production includes a reaction of an alkali or alkaline-earth metal salt of TBHP with a t-butyl halide, as described in Dickey, et al, Ind. Eng Chem. 1949, 41(8) 1673-1679 and in Baj, S., J. Mol. Catalysis, 1996, 106, 11-23.
TBHP is widely used in latex formulation and as an intermediate in manufacturing peroxyesters, peroxyketals and DTBP. Known methods of TBHP synthesis are similar to methods for DTBP synthesis. Documents describing such synthesis include Milas, N. A., et al, J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 1946, 68(2) 205-208; U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,777; EP 639564; U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,084; JP 3/190856 A (1991); Michert, E., Chem. Stosow., 1988 32(1) 171-178; and Milas, N. A., et al, J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 1938, 60 (10) 2434-2436.
Davies, et al,. J Chem. Soc. 1958, 4637-4643 describes preparation of certain optically active secondary alkylphenyl hydroperoxides from corresponding alcohols or ethers and hydrogen peroxide.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,712 describes use of MTBE as an inert solvent in a process for synthesis of oxalate perester compounds.